COLUMBUS (WCMH) — The Better Business Bureau is sounding the alarm on what it says is a spike in online puppy scams it’s seeing during the pandemic.
“People do look for pets online. And with COVID-19, the online purchasing is off the charts.”
Kip Morse, President of the Better Business Bureau of Central Ohio said online pet scams this year are up nearly 350 percent from 2017, and consumers are expected to lose more than $3 million.
“Online scams are the number one scam going on, and pet scams is the number one online scam,” said Morse.
Potential pet owners aren’t doing their research, and end up paying for it.
“They’re doing searches online, or they’re getting offers online, and then, without doing much homework, they’re clicking on links and going to a particular site.”
But Morse said it’s simple to spot the scammers, if you know what to look for.When you see a photo of a precious pet you want to bring home, do a reverse image search.
“If you see an image of a dog and you do a reverse search on that, and you find that that dog is listed on 10 other websites, all those websites are fake websites,” Morse said.
The purchase price is also a good indicator of what may or may not be the real deal.
“The prices are too good to be true. So, if you haven’t done your homework to realize it’s just not a realistic price, then you’ve probably been reeled in to the start of it.”
And think twice before making any transaction. Morse said scammers are taking advantage of payment services like CashApp or Venmo to get money quickly, and in some cases, repeatedly.
“Sometimes, they’re taken for money upfront,” said Morse, “And then, there’s additional charges associated with, we’re shipping your pet to you, and there’s some costs associated with getting it to you. If you see additional charges being required, then you pretty much know that you’re deep within that scam.”
While you’re browsing, consider searching for the website in a registered breeder directory.The American Kennel Club has an online breeder referral search here: AKC Breeder Referral Search
And remember that local animal shelters are full of animals looking for a forever home. There, you’re able to walk in, see the animals in-person, and walk out with a pet the same day.